Bra Top Care and Maintenance: Extending the Lifespan of Your Favorites

Spot the fakes, dodge the tricks, keep the real savings

• Black Friday brings a spike in : ghost deal sites, fake delivery texts, bogus store closing ads, counterfeit luxury/tech, and fake support lines

• Stay safe by going directly to official sites/apps, checking URLs and seller names, and searching the store + scam before you buy

• Trust your gut on too good to be true discounts, surprise redelivery fees, and any request for wire, Zelle, crypto, or gift cards as immediate walk-away warnings

Black Friday weekend is supposed to be a great time to save money, not get scammed out of your hard-earned cash. Unfortunately, scammers use this time of year to try and take advantage of consumers who might not be seasoned online shoppers, and thus become easy targets. Law enforcement, the FTC, banks, and the Better Business Bureau are all warning that holiday are getting more sophisticated, especially with AI making fake sites and ads look very real.

Here are five Black Friday that can wreck any deal, plus what to do instead so you can actually walk away with some real savings.

1. Ghost websites that vanish with your money

What it looks like:

Have you ever seen an online ad for 7090% off a premium name-brand on Black Friday? Sometimes its pitched as a warehouse clearance or going out of business sale.

You click on the ad and the site looks fairly professional, uses brand photos, maybe even has a Trusted Store badge in the footer. You pay, and either get nothing (not even an email confirmation), a cheap knockoff, or a nightmare return runaround when you realize the product is a dupe.

This year, banks and regulators are flagging a surge in these fake or ghost websites ahead of Black Friday. Scammers throw up a realistic retail site, run some social ads, then disappear after taking your money.

How to avoid it:

• I recommend never buying anything directly from an ad on Facebook, X, or Instagram. If its a screaming deal on a Dyson vacuum, for example, get in the habit of typing the details of the deal into a new browser tab and see if the deal exists on Dyson.com or any otherlegitimate website.
• If you happen to click on one of these ads and visit a website, check the URL of the site carefully (look for extra words, weird spellings, or odd domain names like .shop-sale.com as these are allred flags).
• Look for genuine reviews off the site. Do this by searching the store name + scam or check the BBB for any info on them, either good or bad.
• If a site only wants you to pay via bank transfers, Zelle, or crypto, walk away quickly. Legit retailers will always let you pay with your credit card.

2. Fake order and delivery problem texts

What it looks like:

This scam shows its ugly head when youre waiting on five different packages and all of the sudden you get a text or email that says one of the following:

• Your package is on hold pay redelivery fee here
• We couldnt deliver your order click to update address

It looks fairly legit and many shoppers click on the link thinking theyre doing the right thing. Unfortunately, the link will take you to a site that looks just like USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon, or a major retailer. The fee is often just a few bucks, but the real goal of these scammers is to grab your card number or personal info.

In 2024, the FTC says that fake package-delivery texts were the most reported text scam out there. Consumers lost a whopping $470 million to these types of which is a number that needs to dramatically decrease.

How to avoid it:

• The most obvious way is to NEVER click a link within a text or email about your missed deliveries.
• Instead, always go straight to your account on the specific retailers website (Amazon, Target, etc.) or the carriers official site/app and check your order there using the tracking number the retailer originally gave you.
• Always be suspicious of any redelivery fee or urgent request that asks you foryour credit card details or personal information.

If you did click and enter info, be sure to call your bank or card issuer immediately. Theyll walk you through what to do next as they'll typically want you tochangeyour password and enabletwo-factor authentication.

3. Social media local store closing scam

What it looks like:

Have you ever been scrolling and had a headline grab your attention because it referenced a local store and said something like, FINAL DAYS! Local store closing EVERYTHING 80% OFF!? Thats what this scam is all about.

By tapping into your location and using your city name, or photos that appear local, scammers ease you into thinking the deal must be legit. But the BBB is warning that many of these are just fake social media ads that lead to a scam website that either never ships the product or ships counterfeit junk instead.

How to avoid it:

• If a local store is actually closing, you should be able to Google the store name and see any news about the closure, including reviews, or a Google Maps listing. Also, is there a phone number listed? Call them and see if they actually are going out of business.
• Make sure you never trust a countdown timer or claims like last 2 items. Scammers notoriously use this urgency trick to make your brain think youre about to miss out.
• Im a huge fan of what I call the go direct rule. This means closing the ad completely, opening a fresh browser tab, and search for the store yourself. Trust me, a couple minutes of investigative work can save you a terrible headache later.

4. Counterfeit luxury and tech deals that arent really deals

What it looks like:

Counterfeit products spike around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, especially on online marketplaces and in third-party listings.

Specifically, sellers will list a bunch of Black Friday deals on high-end brands at suspiciously low prices. Think designer handbags, headphones, sneakers, sunglasses, consoles, and smartwatches, all at verylow prices. Unfortunately, many turn out to be counterfeits, or worst yet, never arrive.

How to avoid it:

Let your scam alarm ring loudly in your head whenever you see a deal on a luxury brand like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, or Ray-Ban. The same goes for hot tech brands like Beats, Apple, and Sonos at 7080% off from sellers youve never heard of.

Start by taking a closer look at whos actually selling the item. Is it sold and shipped by the retailer/brand, or some random third party with a name you cant trace?

Unrealistic pricing is typically a deal too good to be true. A small discount from an authorized seller? Its probably a safe deal. A massive deal from a no-name shop? Walk away before they walk away with your money.

Also, dont forget about kids toys or items that will touch food youll eat, or your skin. Dont risk buying these items from 3^rd parties that lacka track record of sales and strong customer service. Its not worth the potential savings.

5. Black Friday support

What it looks like:

Two common twists on this scam will exist onBlack Friday weekend:

1. Lets say youre trying to complete your online order, but your shopping cart glitches and you cant finalize your purchase. So you Google Retailer + customer service and call the first number you see. This number turns out to be a fake support line set up by scammers to take your credit card number and personal info.
2. Or youre mid-checkout and something goes wrong, so a pop-up chat or ad promises live help. The agent then asks you to pay a different way viaa bank wire, Zelle, or even a gift card.

Surprisingly, this trick happens more often than you might think. Scammers are getting more sophisticated and using the Black Friday chaos to nudge shoppers away from safe payment methods that theyre accustomed to seeing.

How to avoid it:

• When calling customer support numbers, or clicking on chat links, only use those that you can find on the retailers official site or app.
• Never pay for an order via a bank transfer, gift card, or wire transfer because they claim their card system is down.
• If anyone claiming to be "support" asks for your full card number, PIN, or online banking login, hang up or close the chat immediately. Real companies will never need that information to help you with an order.